Student Stories

Vietnam is a country with great opportunities. This is why our focus is on disadvantaged youth, who are likely to miss out on these opportunities because they have to overcome challenges that most do not have.

Our graduates, who have reached out for their own future, have demonstrated great courage and determination. Through hard work, they are turning their lives around. Meet some of our inspiring students and read their stories below.

Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong

Phuong is from a farming family of 4 in Thanh Hoa province. She would have grown up and had an ordinary life like many other girls, had it not been for a serious illness when she was in grade 3. The illness took away her ability to hear, and gradually her ability to talk properly.
After recovering from her illness, Phuong decided not to attend school for people with disabilities, and continued to attend normal school without receiving any special treatment or support. It was a huge struggle, but with determination, Phuong was able to finish high school with decent score. However, when the requirement came for Phuong to move from a learning to a working environment, it was a much harder challenge.

Pham Van Cuong

Cuong is 22, and comes from the Muong, a ethnic minority group in Vietnam. His family lives in Ngoc Lac, one of the poor mountainous districts in Thanh Hoa province. His family is under preferential treatment.

Nguyen Huu Manh

What do you think about a dot in the middle of a blank page?
Without any hesitation, some people might say “It is just a black dot!”, or “simply nothing”. But for Manh, “No matter how ugly that black dot is, it is the starting point to continue drawing the picture of your life.”

Nguyen Phan Thuy Linh

Even though it’s been five years, Linh still finds it difficult to talk about her father’s leaving. She hasn’t heard from him since but she knows from the other villagers that he has a new wife and family.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Yen

From the moment you meet Yen, you can instantly tell she is very responsible for a person her age. Being a carer for her elderly parents has meant she has always known the importance of looking after family. Her 60-year old mother cannot stand for more than five minutes due to Sciatica. Her father, 64, is an unemployed fisherman, recently affected by the widely publicized dead fish epidemic plaguing central Vietnam.

Nguyen Thi Trieu Anh

Nguyen Thi Trieu Anh’s father left when she was just 12 years old, but she still remembers him. She remembers the countless times he got drunk and beat her and her younger brother. The abuse was so frequent that when he left, she finally felt safe.